


Tactical Retreat

by Tazzy_Ladynero



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: F/M, Gen, Ratings to change, Time Travel, With A Twist, relationships change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-08
Updated: 2014-03-08
Packaged: 2018-01-15 01:12:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1285660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tazzy_Ladynero/pseuds/Tazzy_Ladynero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gaia sends the most unexpected person back in time to prevent the Nightmare from happening - Sephiroth himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tactical Retreat

**Author's Note:**

> This was started after seeing the various "Cloud is sent back" stories out there. I'm about halfway through Crisis Core myself so I'm rewriting what little bit of this story I started before Crisis Core came out. Having said that, this story is ignoring Dirge of Cerebus and Before Crisis (thus why it's not in the Compilation category). This is a WIP right now, and pairings as well as relationships haven't been fully worked out. So expect the rating to change as relationships start happening.
> 
> Special shout out to my Beta who makes me sound intelligent and cuts out the purple prose when I start on my verbal diarrhea modes: Ninjatwin! Without them, this story would sound a whole lot worse!
> 
> Also, before anyone jumps on me, yes, I spell her name Aeris. I've always spelled it like that.

Rubbing her temples, Aeris resisted the urge to sigh at the man standing before her. Ever since the Remnants had been defeated by Cloud, he had been approaching her every day with a politely worded demand to be sent back. Each time, she had turned him down because it wasn't within her power to grant his request. By the Ancients, she had thought _Cloud_ was stubborn

“ _Why_ do you want to go back?” she asked, dropping her hands to stare at him. Perhaps he thought by bugging her enough, Gaia would send him back just to get rid of him. “Why can’t you just be happy here now that Jenova’s been defeated for good?”

"Because I have to repair the damage caused by her," he stated, his calm voice never wavering as he continued to stare at her. “To do that, I have to go back.”

Silently, she prayed for patience, and to her surprise, she heard Gaia answer. She was tired of his demands as well and would grant this _once_. If he failed in his personal quest, then that was it. No other chances. "Fine. Gaia say's she'll grant your request just this once. This is the _only_ chance you'll get though, so if you fail on your personal mission, that's it."

He nodded his agreement to those terms before he vanished in a swirl of green light. Aeris slumped slightly as the light flickered out. She only hoped it was the right thing to do. Strong arms wrapped around her waist in a comforting hug, and she leaned back in Zack’s arms, soaking up the comfort as he brushed a kiss over her hair.

“Relax, Doll, you made the right choice,” he murmured, holding her close, and she twisted slightly to smile up at him. “He’s been able to succeed in everything he’s done until Hojo and Jenova ganged up on him.”

“I know,” she replied, rising up on her toes slightly to brush a kiss across his cheek. “It just seems silly, I guess.”

“No more silly than us bouncing down to check on Spike?” he countered, getting a giggle and a blush at that. “So, where did Gaia drop him? Midgar ruins? Wutai? Nibelheim?”

She smirked at him and slipped out of his arms, Zack following her as he tried to find out when and where Gaia had dropped his General.

@@@

The persistent throbbing in his head echoed through his entire body, and Sephiroth winced as the light seemed to stab directly into his brain. He quickly shut his eyes again and silently cursed Gaia for being such a temperamental bitch. First She refused to send him back, and then when She finally relented, She made sure he would never wish to experience it again.

Suddenly he discovered a thick strap cutting into his waist and his eyes flew open in surprise. He managed to focus past the pain to realize that he was in a helicopter, sitting across from an oddly familiar Turk. The chopper dipped again, and he had to close his eyes against the vertigo threatening to swamp him. Achingly familiar chills raced through him even as it felt like his blood was burning, He wrapped his arms around his waist and doubled over, trying to keep from getting physically sick. This was all so _familiar_ , but he couldn’t figure out how.

A cool hand brushed his shoulder length hair off his neck before a damp cloth was placed across the bared skin. He shuddered hard at the bone searing cold, but it helped alleviate some of the nausea. He managed to open his eyes enough to see the scrubs he was wearing. He hadn't worn scrubs since before he was in Midgar...

Realization crashed over him, and he could only stare at the white fabric with a strange mix of awe and delight. Gaia had sent him back, but to when he was fourteen. He felt like he was alternately freezing and boiling because Hojo had given him one last round of injections before he was collected for the President.

“Easy, kid. Just relax and the nausea will ease,” soothed a voice in his ear, and he carefully turned his head to find the familiar Turk sitting next to him. A small smile was on the Turks’ face, and he finally remembered his name. Veld. “Strange. I never figured you for air sickness.”

Sephiroth debated on correcting Veld before mentally shrugging it off. If the Turk didn’t know the difference between metabolizing injections and air sickness then he wasn't going to educate Veld on it. Closing his eyes, Sephiroth did his best to remember what was going to be happening soon. He had to start setting foundations for his plans but to do that, he had to remember why he was on a helicopter and where he was going. It was too soon for him to be in Midgar, as the war with Wutai had only been going on for two years and he hadn't had any official training.

It suddenly clicked. Junon. He was going to Junon for training. There he would meet Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos, and the three of them would become tentative friendly rivals throughout their training. When it was deemed they had been trained enough, they would be sent to Wutai for some experience and recognition before being presented to the world as the next generation of SOLDIER and the new generals of Shinra. If he had been alone, Sephiroth would have laughed out loud in relief and delight. He had time to change things and save the only people he ever thought of as friends. Not everything would be the same as his actions would affect everything around him, but Sephiroth always had been good at planning off the cuff. It had been one of the things that made him so good in the field.

 _Wutai later. Planning now,_ Sephiroth thought as he forced himself to sit up in his seat and tipped his head back. There were things he knew he wouldn't be able to change, but other events, such as the disastrous mission to Nibelheim, were most definitely going to be changed.

He lost track of time as they flew, but eventually, his body calmed down, and he was able to make some general plans just as Junon appeared on the horizon. Straightening, Sephiroth ran a hand through his hair, grimacing at how short it was and how it wanted to stick up in all directions. That was the reason he had grown his hair out, the additional weight flattening it so he didn’t look like a wind blown chocobo. Unfortunately that was going to be at _least_ two years before his hair was long enough.

“You’re in luck,” Veld remarked as the helicopter touched down. “There are two other cadets who are your age. They’re also on the fast track to SOLDIER.”

“Who are they?” Sephiroth asked, managing to sound bored. He still didn’t know if he’d have to relearn everything he knew, or if it returned with him. He honestly wouldn’t put it past Gaia to make him earn his skills again, just to make him suffer a bit more.

“Their names are Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos,” stated Veld with a shrug. Sephiroth hummed before shaking his head. He had a second chance with his friends again. Once he had their trust, he’d tell them everything. Until then, he’ll have to play ignorant. The pilot announced that they would be landing in Junon in a few minutes, and Veld moved back to his seat, leaving Sephiroth alone with his thoughts.

Closing his eyes, Sephiroth made a vow to himself and to Gaia. He was not going to mess this up and lose everything again. Taking a deep breath, he slowly let it out as he prepared to face the ghosts of his past as the faces of his future.


End file.
